Norfork Rainbow

[Mikey]

Was just trolling through the Deviant Art website and came across this picture. I saved it for a project I was working on without giving it so much as a passing glance. Had it opened again today and happened to catch the title across the bottom: Northfork Bow. So I went back to the Deviant Art artist's site and read the artist comments. It's a nice pic of a rainbow indeed caught on the Norfork River. He's got some other Norfork pics in his gallery. Nice lookin' stuff.

Click the image to go to the artist's page and access his gallery. Full version of this pic is gorgeous.

Mikey

[Gavin]

The composition and lighting are good, but the fish appears to be missing a few fins. Not a bad fish pic though. Cheers.

[RiverRunner]

Nice picture, the Norfork has some of the prettiest fish you'll see anywhere

[Majaraja]

Nice picture, the Norfork has some of the prettiest fish you'll see anywhere

You're kidding, right?

[hornyheadchub]

Nice picture, the Norfork has some of the prettiest fish you'll see anywhere

Kidding RR is not. Perhaps the most impressive male 'bow I've ever seen in full spawning dress was from the Norfork just below the dam. When I get a chance, I'll scan the polaroid, it's a fish that could cause Joe Tomelleri to salivate.

This past January I spent a few days fishing during full generation and caught some of the most spectacular brookies I've seen anywhere (some between 13" and 18"). I was with a friend who has guided on the White for +25 years and he was speechless at the sheer beauty and complexity of the palette of colors contained in one fish.

He just kept saying how he'd never seen blue, purple, and orange on one trout before.

I had to admit I'd never seen such big brookies on the Norfork and I certainly had no idea that they were as orange as a carrot inside, and man did they taste great!. I still have a big sharp triangular rock I removed from the stomach of one of them!

[hornyheadchub]

Allow me to illustrate....

First is a respectable White River Brown from the Wildcat Shoals area. When +7 units are online, fishing can be tough

Next up, a Norfork Brown caught the following day

And a Brook from the Norfork

[Danoinark]

Very nice illustratons of fish from our White River system. You all did good.

Dano

[hornyheadchub]

Thanks Dano,

It always takes me by surprise how much deeper of a palette of colors the Norfork fish have.

Some of you out there may know the gentleman in the second picture, as he has been guiding off and on at the White for over two decades, much of it out of Wildcat Shoals. He's Joe Hancock, and he was mentored in part by Billy Bob Waits (spp?), of whom I have heard many great stories and whose knowledge has been passed on in some form to myself and my friends through Joe. Joe has never met a stranger, and is a truly valuable resource to speak with when you see him on the river, just say 'Razorbacks'

[RiverRunner]

I don't know why anyone would think I was kidding. Anyone who has spent any time fishing the Norfork would know what beautiful fish it produces. For me, its one of the reasons I like to go there. I have caught some prettier than usual fish out of the White this year though. I've always wondered what makes the fish in the Norfork so pretty, maybe the forage base? My new home waters, the Little Red, does have some fish that rival the Norfork, but they are darker (because of the moss and the diet of sowbugs I guess). I'd put any trout caught in the Norfork up against any trout, any where when it comes to beauty.

[AKflyfisher]

River Runner, I fisht he little red every weekend and I thought the dark ones the fresh stockers? and the chromers the fish that have been in the river longer? I came to this conclusion from the fact the hatchery fish are almost black I guess Im wrong?

Hornyheadchub, nice fish pictures and Im glad I see someone that holds Trout right (no fingers in the gills, not supporting the body)

Did anyone notice the one fin on the fish is missing? I just did and I just caught one on the red yesterday like that darn hatchery tanks bangs up the fish pretty bad I guess